In a public advisory, Iran’s IRGC urged vessels transiting the Strait to follow alternative routes to reduce the risk of collision, even as it indicated that certain passages may remain open under specific conditions.
Hormuz reopening remains unsafe as Iran fails to track ‘haphazardly’ deployed sea mines
The challenge to reopen the Strait of Hormuz intensifies, with Iran unable to locate all sea mines deployed in the key sea route, raising concerns about maritime safety and potential disruptions to global oil supplies, according to a report by The New York Times, citing US officials.
The US officials told the newspaper that the mines were placed using small boats following joint airstrikes by the United States and Israel amid rising tensions over Iran’s nuclear programme.
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However, the deployment was apparently haphazard, with some devices either not properly logged or laid in a way that allowed them to drift, making detection and clearance difficult. The situation has heightened risks for commercial vessels passing through one of the world’s busiest energy routes.
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Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has warned ships about the danger posed by the mines.
In a public advisory, the force urged vessels transiting the strait to follow alternative routes to reduce the risk of collision, even as it indicated that certain passages may remain open under specific conditions.
“All ships intending to transit the Strait of Hormuz are hereby notified that to comply with the principles of maritime safety and to be protected from possible collisions with sea mines… they should take alternative routes for traffic in the Strait of Hormuz,” the IRGC said in a statement.
The developments come at a sensitive moment, with high-stakes talks between Washington and Tehran underway in Islamabad. The uncertainty around safe navigation has added pressure to ongoing diplomatic efforts.
Although Iran has agreed to reopen the strait following a ceasefire with the United States, delays in clearing the mines have prevented a full return to normal shipping operations. Authorities are currently directing vessels along safer alternative paths while clearance efforts continue.
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